Weekly E-Blast:
Voicing the latest news on Communities in Need
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In light of the Baltimore Riots, MACHC has coordinated a meeting on May 29th with Baltimore City Health Department, please look on the EP section for details. All Baltimore Health Centers rep is invited to attend.
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Have news to share with us? Want to be featured on our next E-Digest? Want to read about something in particular? Please email us at aneeqa@machc.com.
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ALL Reports on Advocacy Activities for Phase 3
of the Access is the Answer Campaign are due May 29th
Health Center Advocates:
NACHC & MACHC want to recognize your commitment to advocacy action!
Your persistent and active advocacy work was invaluable for the passage of H.R. 2, also known as the Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act, a law which contains two years of continued mandatory funding for the Health Centers Program.
Your hard work and action resulted in a major success for the Health Centers Program, and we think your outstanding advocacy deserves RECOGNITION. We are asking all Health Center Advocates to tell us about the advocacy activities that you and your staff completed to make this victory happen.
PLEASE SHARE the advocacy activities at your Health Center and the materials you have collected. Also, remember to share the advocate cards and staff support letters and let us know if you've passed a board resolution or sent a letter from the board to your Members of Congress.
Please send your Access is the Answer Phase 3, and all other advocacy activity reports to grassroots@nachc.com and aneeqa@machc.com by May 29th so your efforts are reflected in the final reports and we can include you in recognition efforts scheduled for this summer!
.....To extend your welcome and get to know our New CEOs at Baltimore Medical Systems and Henrietta Johnson Medical Home! In addition, MACHC has a new COO, Dr. Judy Lapinski and Data Analyst, John Andrew Young. Please join us in welcoming the dynamic new team members.
Welcome new CEOs to our Health Centers!!!
MACHC would like to extend a warm welcome to Shirley Sutton, CEO of Baltimore Medical Systems AND Ephraim Kaba, Interim CEO of Henrietta Johnson Medical Center! Please extend your hearty welcome to them as you meet and greet them in the coming weeks!
MACHC introduces new COO & Data Analyst:
Please join MACHC in welcome two new members to our team: Dr. Judy Lapinski as the new COO of MACHC and John Andrew Young, as the new data anaylst.
Dr. Lapinski comes to MACHC with 18 years of healthcare experience including administrative oversight, clinical operations, financial management, pharmacy, 340b program management, project management, cost reduction strategies, quality improvement, program building, personnel development, team building, and strategies for improved patient experience. Dr. Lapinski most recently served as the Chief Operating Officer for one of the larger FQHCs in Maryland.
John Andrew has worked with a wide array of agencies that deliver whole-person healthcare services to vulnerable populations. He brings quality improvement, cost-effectiveness analysis, capacity building, and advocacy experiences to MACHC. John Andrew received his BA in Political Science in 2012 from the Birmingham-Southern College and his MPH with a concentration in Quantitative Policy Analysis in 2015 from the School of Public Health at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
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Reminder:
MACHC Announces its Newly Launched Provider Credentialing Services (look under Shared Services Corner)
For a subscription cost, MACHC will provide initial and re-credentialing services to our members.
For more information please contact Bernadette Johnson at bernadette@machc.com
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*Please note that the MACHC conference day(s) for June and Board of Directors meeting dates have been changed. Changes reflected below.
(2) June 18-19, 2015
Clinical/Informatics
Maritime Conference Center- Lithicum, MD
(3) September 17-18, 2015
Operations Leadership
Turf Valley Conf. Ctr., MD
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Board of Directors Meetings:
(Third Friday @ 11:00 a.m.)
June 18, 2015
Face to face
11 am - 1pm
Maritime Conference Center
September 17, 2015
Board Retreat
Turf Valley
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Participants will learn to critically assess the strengths and weakness of qualitative research papers and evaluation projects and contribute to the development of a qualitative research or evaluation project
This Open Office Session will address follow-up questions from the May 13, 2015 "Managing 340B Inventory and Associated Data Vulnerabilities in a Physical System" webinar.
(3) Delaware Health Care Commission June 4, 2015 at 9am
Corporate Training Center
Rooms 400A-B
100 Campus Drive
Dover, DE 19904
(4) Managing Ambulatory Health Care I (MAHC I): Introductory Course for Clinicians in Community Health Centers
June 15-18, 2015 - Portland, Oregon
EARLY BIRD DEADLINE: June 1 Apply here.
This four-day course goes beyond the basics of being a new clinical director in a FQHC. This course focuses on skills that are essential in the community health center environment. You will learn specific management skills that are essential in the community health center environment:
- Financial management
- The enhanced role of the medical director (dental, behavioral health, etc.)
- Clinical operations
- Productivity management
- Performance compensation
(5) Patient-Centered Medical Home Training "Completing the Journey to 2014 NCQA PCMH Recognition" June 15-16, 2015
The Sheraton Harrisburg/Hershey
Harrisburg, PA Register Here.
Contact Cheryl Bumgardner for more information
(6) Save the Date for the Maryland Chronic Disease Conference
On September 8-9, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland, DHMH will be hosting the Inaugural Chronic Disease Conference. The Maryland Chronic Disease Conference aims to explore challenges and opportunities in public health as well as approaches to prevent and control chronic diseases and associated risk factors. The conference will identify best practices, examine existing barriers, and develop a roadmap for future programs in Maryland. The core focus of the Conference will be the four CDC Chronic Disease Domains-Epidemiology/Surveillance; Environmental Approaches; Health Care System Interventions and Community Programs Linked to Clinical Services.
For more information please visit: Maryland Chronic Disease Conference
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Emergency Preparedness Events:
(1) FQHC MEETING WITH BALTIMORE CITY HEALTH DEPT:
Friday, May 29th from 2pm -3pm
1001 East Fayette Street, Baltimore MD
(2) EMERGENCY RESPONSE SYMPOSIUM: REGIONAL RESPONSE TO CRITICAL INCIDENTS IN THE 21st CENTURY
DATE: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3, 2015
TIME: 8:30 AM - REGISTRATION 9:00 AM TO 5:00 PM - WORKSHOP
PLACE: UNIVERSITIES AT SHADY GROVE CONFERENCE CENTER BUILDING II, 9630 GUDELSKY DRIVE, ROCKVILLE, MD 20850
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: MAY 29, 2015
Corrected Registration Phone#: 301-474-1485
FOCUS: COORDINATED MULTI-DISCIPLINARY, MULTI- JURISDICTIONAL RESPONSE TO CRITICAL, HIGH-IMPACT INCIDENTS. THIS WILL INCLUDE LESSONS LEARNED FROM:
* BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING
* AURORA THEATER SHOOTINGS
* JOPLIN TORNADO
RESPONSE LEADERS FROM THESE EVENTS WILL PROVIDE THEIR FIRST-HAND IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS. LOCAL LEADERS FROM EMERGENCY RESPONSE DISCIPLINES WILL LEARN
TO APPLY THOSE LESSONS TO LOCAL STRATEGIES
PEDIATRIC CARE DURING MASS CASUALTY EVENTS: UNDERSTANDING SURGE AND BUILDING CAPACITY
(3) UNDERSTANDING SURGE AND BUILDING CAPACITY
Date: Friday, June 12, 2015 0730 to 1530 hours
Description: Although Maryland's pediatric population accounts for approximately 25-30% of the state's overall population, the majority of Emergency Support Function: Public Health and Medical Services (ESF #8) activities have only addressed issues related to adult victims and patients. Limited training opportunities coupled with inadequate pediatric critical care and surge capacity and capability within Maryland creates gaps and challenges in emergency preparedness and response efforts for those who are most vulnerable and require specialized care. This one-day event seeks to bridge those gaps and begin the process of overcoming those challenges.
Goal: To enhance the capacity and capability of healthcare providers and members of healthcare coalitions to attend to the special needs of pediatric populations during mass casualty events.
Objectives: After attending this session, participants will be able to:
- Recognize the special needs of pediatric populations during mass casualty events;
- Foster collaborative working relationships between non-pediatric and pediatric healthcare providers;
- Initiate and provide effective healthcare interventions to pediatric victims and patients as mass casualty surge grows.
Audience: Healthcare providers at all levels, nurses and physicians from all specialty areas, and EMS.
Location: The Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies,
692 Maritime Boulevard, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090, United States
Event cost Free
Registration Required: https://trams.jhsph.edu/trams/index.cfm?event=training.catalogDisplay&trainingID=736
CE Credits: Educational Credit will be Available
(4) MGT 433: Isolation and Quarantine for Rural Communities & PER 308: Rural Isolation and Quarantine for Public Health and Healthcare Professionals.
Register hereMGT 433 (8am-12pm) is designed to provide small, rural and remote communities with the knowledge, skills and abilities to effectively plan for and respond to events that require isolation and/or quarantine of their populations. PER 308 (1-5pm) expands on the concepts presented in MGT 433. It consists of two customized training modules that are specifically tailored toward course participants from the public health and medical fields.
Date: June 26, 2015
Time: 8:00am - 12:00pm AND 1:00 - 5:00pm
Location: Eastern Shore Hospital Center, Cambridge, MD
Registration deadline: June 12, 2015
How Prepared Is Your Community for an Emergency?
Download the kit checklist:
Family communication and evacuation plan:
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ATTENTION MD FQHCS
2. DHMH Satellite Phone Recall FQHCs that still have the satellite phones distributed by DHMH 4 years ago, please send them back to:
L. Kay Webster, MPH
Office of Preparedness & Response
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
300 W. Preston Street, Ste. 202
Baltimore, MD 21201
3. Please get in touch with your Regional Coordinators if you have not already done so and be more active in your Regional Coalition. You should already have their contacts in emails I have sent within this year numerous times. Please find them below:
Regions I and II Health Care Coalition
[Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington Counties]
Alison Robinson
Allegany County Health Department
12501 Willowbrook Road
Cumberland, MD 21502
301-759-5238 (Office)
443-934-2232 (Mobile)
301-777-2069 (Fax)
alison.robinson@maryland.gov
Region III Health and Medical Task Force
[Baltimore City; Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Harford and Howard Counties]
Edward Johnson
Harford County Health Department
120 S. Hays Street, Suite 230
Bel Air, MD 21014
410-877-1031 (Office)
443-388-6290 (Mobile)
410-420-3448 (Fax)
edward.johnson@maryland.gov
Region IV -
[Caroline, Cecil, Dorchester, Kent, Queen Anne's, Somerset, Talbot, Wicomico and Worcester Counties]
Kristin McMenamin
Kent County Health Department
A.F. Whitsitt Center
300 Scheeler Road, P.O. Box 229
Chestertown, MD 21620
410-778-4861 (Office)
443-690-3091 (Mobile)
410-778-4862 (Fax)
kristin.mcmenamin@maryland.gov
Region V Emergency Preparedness Coalition
[Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's and St. Mary's Counties]
Vacant - To be filled
Intermittent Coordinator:
L. Kay Webster, MPH
Office of Preparedness & Response
Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
300 W. Preston Street, Ste. 202
Baltimore, MD 21201
4. Find ATTACHED (Please click here) the guide was developed to provide hospitals in California with a useful tool for developing and implementing effective respiratory protection programs, with an emphasis on protecting health care workers from aerosol transmissible diseases. It was prepared by the Occupational Health Branch (OHB) of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) with funding from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOS H) National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL). It sure looks like something that we can perhaps modify for Maryland.
, you will find the template for setting up a respiratory protection program in hospitals.
5. MACHC conducted two FQHCs with Planning for Onsite Drill/Exercise in February 5th & 6th, 2015. The follow up call with ALL MACHC member health centers and partners was held Thursday, March 12th. Due to the large file size of Active Shooter documents, an email to all attendees and FQHC POIs was sent out. Please alert Aneeqa Chowdhury (aneeqa@machc.com) if you have not received the link.
6. MACHC provided support to all Baltimore Health Centers during the Baltimore Riots end of April-May 2015. We thank all of our member FQHCs and partners for the support and seamless communication which created transparency and effective communication of needs during the pressing time. Please email us at MACHC if you have any comments regarding the events that occurred.
*** Look for the latest EP related updates RIGHT HERE!
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Policy, Advocacy and Legislation
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HRSA Announces Medicare and CHIP Reauthorization Act Funds
On Thursday, May 14, 2015, HRSA announced $5 million in new and continuing competitive grant awards to support Family-to-Family Health Information Centers, primary non-profit organizations run by and for families with children and youth with special health care needs. These Centers have served millions of families and health professionals nationwide.
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The Heckler Report: A Force for Ending Health Disparities in America Webcast
HHS has released this on-demand webcast about the Heckler report, which was the first comprehensive study of the health status of racial and ethnic minorities conducted by the U.S. government and elevated minority health onto the national stage. This webcast will be available for on-demand viewing until Monday, July 27, 2015. Register and view the Health Equity Summit
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CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has disclosed it was the target of a cyberattack affecting 1.1 million current and former members. The nonprofit health insurer, which serves 3.4 million individuals and groups in Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia, said a single database was breached June 19, 2014. It said hackers may have had access to users' names, birth dates, email addresses and subscriber identification numbers.
The District of Columbia Department of Health (DOH) and the Fairfax County Health Department confirmed a single case of measles resulting from international travel. The individual visited various locations in Virginia and Washington, DC. During a short stay in the District, the individual visited the Embassy Suites Hotel at 900 10th St. NW and the International Finance Corporation headquarters at 2121 Pennsylvania Ave NW. DOH officials are currently in the process of contacting all individuals known to have been exposed to the infected patient.
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CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET UPDATE: WHERE IT ALL STANDS...
The two houses of Congress have now formalized their joint budget. This budget is both non-binding and completely separate from the President's budget (also non-binding). Instead of a detailed program-by-program breakdown of Federal spending, the Congressional budget resolution simply provides general funding targets and "instructions" for meeting such targets. Learn more here.
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To mark the 50th anniversary of the Community Health Center Program, NACHC is using the month of May to spotlight the various ways health centers operate as Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMH). A good example in Colorado, where Peak Vista Community Health Centers has been spotlighted in the journal Health Elevations, published by the Colorado Health Foundation.
The article, authored by Kelly Dwyer, describes how each morning "small teams of primary care doctors, nurses, medical aides, behavioral therapists, and care managers" gather to discuss which patients are coming in and review their reports and check off which lab or diagnostic tests need to happen. "This is integrated care at work," writes Dwyer. "Peak Vista is defying perceptions of beleaguered clinics scrambling to merely keep up with demand and is instead leading the integration revolution through better design."
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If you were unable to attend the 2015 NACHC Policy & Issues Forum (P&I) this year, you will be pleased with a new resource on the NACHC website. The Policy & Issues Forum Guidebook is a collection of all the policy-related documents produced by NACHC's Division of Public Policy and Research since the last P&I Forum, organized by the department that created it. There is no cost. Resources, including videos, relative to clinical issues can also be accessed on the NACHC website. |
FTCA Application Deadline May 26
Health center applications for Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) medical malpractice coverage are due by Tuesday, May 26, 2015, 11:59 pm ET. Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2015-03 describes the process for Health Center Program grantees to submit initial and redeeming FTCA deeming applications for Calendar Year (CY) 2016.
Aetna Foundation, HHS, and the National Health IT Collaborative for the Underserved are working in partnership to leverage IT innovations to reduce disparities in health among underserved and minority communities. Through this business plan challenge, the organizations seek to identify innovative approaches to increasing health equity and impacting chronic issues in underserved populations.
Proposals are being accepted for the Challenge through Wednesday, July 22, 2015.
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Insurance Commissioner Karen Weldin Stewart announced today that Aetna Health, Inc. and Highmark BlueCross BlueShield Delaware will offer businesses employing 51 to 100 workers the opportunity to renew their group health insurance policies at "large group" rates for policy plan years beginning on or before October 1, 2016. Commissioner Stewart issued a departmental bulletin earlier this year notifying issuers in the large group market about the opportunity provided by the Affordable Care Act.
"The large group renewal offer is welcome news for Delaware businesses of this size who currently purchase insurance in the large group market," said Stewart. "Beginning January 1, 2016, the ACA will redefine these companies as small businesses, who would then have to shop for a plan in the small group market. Because of the accommodation I am announcing today, these companies can continue to purchase health coverage from Aetna and Highmark at large group rates until October 1, 2016. The large group market generally offers lower rates."
Delaware's Health Insurance Marketplace: Update on Activity
Please click here for the slides from the meeting
Delaware's State Innovation Model (SIM) Update
Here are the slides
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The number of deaths due to heroin overdoses increased significantly for the third straight year in Maryland. In 2014, 578 people in Maryland died of heroin overdoses, a 25 percent increase over 2013 and more than twice the number who died from using the drug in 2010. Heroin was by far the leader among drugs that caused fatalities in Maryland, followed by 329 deaths caused by prescription opioids, and 270 caused by alcohol. The city of Baltimore had the most overdose deaths in the state, at 303, followed by Baltimore County, where 170 people died. Anne Arundel, Montgomery, and Prince George's counties followed with most overdose deaths.
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CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield (CareFirst) will award more than $3.1 million to seven health care organizations working to improve the health of uninsured and underinsured mothers and their babies - particularly those in the National Capital Area, where the infant mortality rate still exceeds the national average. Last year, CareFirst issued a request for proposals to improve birth outcomes and infant mortality in Maryland, Northern Virginia and Washington, DC. Community of Hope, Mary's Center, and MedStar Washington Hospital are among the health centers to receive CareFirst's support.
A recent report, Can Electronic Health Records Systems Support New Payment Methods for Health Centers, from the Geiger Gibson/RCHN Community Health Foundation Research Collaborative assesses the feasibility and usefulness of combining electronic health record (EHR) data with federal cost report data as the basis for quantifying enabling services and developing or evaluating reimbursement rates for Community Health Centers . The report, based on a pilot study, indicates that such data fall short of providing the information needed to reasonably develop new value-based rate setting approaches or evaluate existing cost-based rates. The report suggest that EHRs need to be tailored to better capture the unique range of health center services, and that workflow changes may also be needed to ensure that essential information is recorded.
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2015 Practical Art of Health Center Finance
This NACHC program, formerly referred to as the Finance and Operations Management, Level I (FOM I) training, will be held June 2-4 at the Hilton Garden Inn Austin Downtown & Convention Center, Austin, TX. The program has been designed to provide new CFOs, COOs, billing managers and board members with an orientation to financial management, accounting principles and terminology unique to health centers. Learning objectives include: understand the key elements of an efficiently operating health center; understand cost-based reimbursement; improve operations to maximize revenue; and utilize technology to manage information. For more information or to register, click here.
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A 2013 Profile and Prospects as ACA Implementation Proceeds is part of an annual series of updates on Community Health Centers produced by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured in partnership with the George Washington University's Geiger Gibson Program in Community Health Policy. It provides a current overview of FQHCs, the patients they serve, the services they furnish, and the sources of their revenues. The report also considers the prospects for sustaining and building on the gains in primary care access that have been achieved for medically underserved communities as a result of the Medicaid expansion and the Health Center Fund established under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi says Republicans will "rue the day" if the Supreme Court buys their arguments and invalidates tax subsidies for millions of people under President Barack Obama's health care law. Republicans have said they will try to ensure people don't lose coverage if the high court rules this summer against tax subsidies for health care coverage in certain states. But they haven't said how they would do it.
The insurance program was called 'Believe Me' - but Kairis Chiaji had her doubts. She and her husband Arthur were skeptical that the new health plan they purchased for 2015 would actually work out. That's because their experience in 2014 had been a disaster, she said. The Sacramento, Calif., couple had been thrilled to learn last year about the prospect of subsidized coverage under the nation's health law, she recalled. Each of them had been uninsured for years when they signed up for coverage through the state exchange, Covered California
CMS Assister Webinars & Supplemental Webinars
The next two CMS Assister Webinars will be held on Thursday, May 7 and Thursday May 21. Please be aware of the date change. Also here is a list of supplemental webinars:
- Special Enrollment Periods and Resources for the Uninsured; Wednesday, May 6, 2015, 2:00 pm EDT: Click to register. To join by phone only: 1 (415) 655-0059, Access Code: 419-734-181, Pin code is the # key. Wednesday, June 17, 2015, 2:00 pm EDT: Click to register. To join by phone only: (415) 655-0051, Access Code: 564-443-351, Pin code is the # key.
- Got Coverage? Next Steps in Using Your Health Insurance; Tuesday, May 19, 2015, 3:00 pm EDT: Click to registerClick to register. To join by phone only: 1 (646) 307-1706, Access Code: 763-833-558, Pin code is the # key. Tuesday, June 23, 2015, 4:00 pm EDT: Click to register. To join by phone only: (415) 655-0051, Access Code: 379-833-859, Pin code is the # key.
- Affordable Care Act 101 Webinars for Small Employers**
- Spanish-language ACA 101 Webinars for Small Employers
Marketplace Call Center and SHOP Call Center Hours
Health Insurance Marketplace Call Center: For customer service support, to start or finish an application, compare plans, enroll or ask a question. 1-800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325). Available 24/7. Closed Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
SHOP Call Center: For customer service support, including assisting employers and employees apply for and enroll in SHOP. 1-800-706-7893 (TTY: 711). Available M-F 9:00 am-7:00 pm EST.
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MACHC Conference Call Updates
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National Health Center Week Kick-Off Webinar Available Online
The 2015 National Health Center Week Kick-Off Webinar took place on Tuesday, May 12th. If you did not have a chance to join, you can access the full recording online and PowerPoint presentation
here.
All Maryland CACs:
Due to unforeseen circumstances, Maryland Health Benefit Exchange's ACSE monthly meeting has been cancelled for Monday, April 27th. The call/meeting will meet next month on the fourth Monday of June.
June 22, at 10am.
Title: MHC-Application Counselor ILT System Training
Locator Number: 795
Date: June 25th, 2015
Time 10:30 am - 1: 30 pm
Registration close date/time: 6/22/2015 @ 12:00 am
Requirements for Webinar Completion:
1. You must attend the webinar session in their entirety. Participants who miss more
than 15 minutes of the webinar, as captured by entry and exit times throughout
the session, will not receive completion status for the training. For example, if a participant enters the online meeting space after 9:15 am for a webinar start time of 9:00 am, he or she will not receive credit for the training.
Participants must participate in the webinar through the Webex Meeting space and by phone for audio. If you are on the phone the entire time, but not signed into the
WebEx, you will not receive credit for the training. For this reason, we encourage you to remain logged into the online event during scheduled breaks and Q&A sessions.
2. You must log into the session on an individual computer with a complete and
accurate last name, first name, and email address. When joining the session,
please enter the same name and email address you used when registering for the
webinar on The Hub.
Participants who share a computer to attend the webinar will not receive completion status for the training, because their names and email addresses will not be captured
in the webinar attendance report.
3. Only participants who completed the required prerequisites and registered for the webinar through The Hub, before the registration deadline date and time, and satisfied the attendance requirements listed above will receive credit for completing the webinar.
4. Only registered participants will receive an email on how to access the webinar, to the email address that was used to register in The Hub, at least 24 hours before the
start of the webinar.
Thank you,
MHBE
Maryland--Call Center Note:
Direct Line for Navigators and CAC to MHBE Call Center--Regarding the Call Center # 844-224-6762 It should be noted that: If you need customer assistance from the call center, CAC's should call this number.
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Grants & Funding Opportunities
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Health Infrastructure Investment Program (HIIP) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) Deadline - Supplemental information is due in HRSA's Electronic Handbooks (EHB) by 5:00pm on Thursday, May 21, 2015 for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 HIIP FOA.
Approximately $150 million in ACA funding will be available to support 150-175 awards for existing Health Center Program grantees to increase their patient capacity and to provide additional comprehensive primary and preventive health services to medically underserved populations through the alteration/renovation, expansion, or construction of a facility.
HRSA Health Infrastructure Investment Program Funding
Application Deadline: Grants.gov application package by April 21; EHB application by May 21
HRSA expects to award approximately $150 million in Affordable Care Act funding for the alteration or renovation, expansion or construction of a facility, allowing health centers to provide increased capacity or additional primary and preventive care services.
Office of Minority Health Partnerships to Increase Coverage in Communities II Initiative Application Deadline: May 22,2015 by 5:00 pm EDT The purpose of the PICC II Initiative is to educate racial and ethnic minority populations, including those that are economically and/or environmentally disadvantaged, and immigrant and refugee populations who are eligible for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace (Marketplace), about the Marketplace and to assist them with enrollment and completion of the application to determine their eligibility and obtain or purchase health coverage offered through the Marketplace. HHS expects to grant 14-17 awards of $200,000 - $250,000 for work beginning Aug. 2015
National Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreements (NCA) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) (HRSA-15-140) - HRSA released the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 NCA FOA (HRSA-15-140). Approximately $3 million will be available to support 3-4 awards to national organizations that will provide training and technical assistance to potential and existing Health Center Program grantees and look-alikes in the areas of oral health services, health information technology and data, and clinical workforce development. Applications are due to Grants.gov by Monday, June 1, 2015. This NCA funding opportunity is a Grants.gov only application. Federal Surplus Personal Property Program
Application Deadline: None
Eligible state and local government agencies and nonprofit organizations, including health centers, can obtain property that the federal government no longer needs through the Federal Surplus Personal Property Donation Program.
BJ's Charitable Foundation
Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Funding for hunger prevention, self-sufficiency, healthcare, and education to those who are underserved.
Application Deadline: Applications accepted on an ongoing basis
Provides seed funding to emerging nonprofits, or to new projects of established organizations in the areas of education; environment; health and human services; and hunger and nutrition. Pennsylvania is one of 13 eligible states.
Application Deadline: Applications Accepted on an Ongoing Basis
The Community Response Fund supports organizations, activities, and events that address access to needed oral health care and community resources that improve oral health. Programs that address an immediate response to an urgent issue that impacts access to clinical care, provide short-term access to needed care for the underserved, or sustain organizations experiencing short-term challenges are the focus. A limited number of program concepts that provide longer term solutions or essential services for particularly underserved populations will also be considered. The program will also support Missions of Mercy clinics.
National Training and Technical Assistance Cooperative Agreement (NCA) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) (HRSA-15-140) - HRSA released Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 NCA FOA (HRSA-15-140) which will provide approximately $3 million to support 3-4 awards to national organizations that will provide training and technical assistance to potential and existing Health Center Program grantees and look-alikes. The organizations will provide training in the areas of oral health services, health information technology and data, and clinical workforce development.
Applications are due to Grants.gov by Monday, June 1, 2015. This NCA funding opportunity is a Grants.gov only application.
CY 2016 Requirements for FTCA Medical Malpractice Coverage for Health Centers- HRSA has issued Program Assistance Letter (PAL) 2015-03 to describe the process for Health Center Program grantees to submit initial and redeeming Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) deeming applications for Calendar Year (CY) 2016.
Applications are due by Tuesday, May 26, 2015, 11:59pm, ET.
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Check out the comprehensive Credentialing Checklist. This can help your health center adhere to all the regulations,receive the payments at the appropriate time and forecast any financial constraints due to credentialing early.
MACHC now offers a myriad of Shared Services for member convenience.
Please check out the attached flier for additional details on the services offered.
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Prescription drug expenses for adults totaled $267 billion nationwide in 2012. Of the leading classes of outpatient prescription drugs based on total expenses that year, metabolic drugs (used for conditions such as high cholesterol, diabetes and weight control) were purchased by nearly one in four adults age 18 and older at an average of $104 per prescription. Meanwhile, cardiovascular drugs (used for conditions such as heart disease, blood clots and other circulatory disorders) were purchased by seven in 10 Medicare patients age 65 and older at an average of $28 per prescription.
Findings Show Modest Improvements in Patient-Provider Communication
Health providers are paying more attention to communicating more effectively with patients and their families about their care, although progress is occurring at a modest pace, according to findings from AHRQ's newly released Chartbook on Patient- and Family-Centered Care. Of the 20 measures of patient-centered care collected in the report, 17 showed improvement and three showed no change. While none of the measures improved quickly, none showed worsening quality. One measure, communication between patients and hospital staff about getting discharged from the hospital, improved each year between 2009 and 2013. But certain groups reported worse quality of patient-centered care, including poor patients compared with high-income patients, blacks compared with whites and Hispanics compared with whites. AHRQ offers a variety of resources to improve engagement between clinicians and patients.
A new patient safety channel on AHRQ YouTube features videos of evidence-based training programs used by U.S. hospitals to improve care quality through effective communications and teamwork. The new channel includes nearly 50 videos that describe key elements of the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program Toolkit (CUSP), a patient safety protocol used successfully by hospital intensive care units to reduce potentially deadly healthcare-acquired infections. The Patient Safety Channel also includes more than 50 videos on TeamSTEPPS®, a patient safety protocol developed by AHRQ and the U.S. Department of Defense that lowers the risk of adverse events through better communication and teamwork skills. Both training programs can be customized to the individual training needs of hospitals, hospital units and clinicians. Continuing-Education Resources Explore Ways To Prevent Patient Falls and Pressure Ulcers AHRQ's new continuing-education resources offer health care professionals continuing education and continuing medical education credits on improving patient safety by preventing pressure ulcers and falls in hospitals. Each year an estimated 2.5 million U.S. patients will develop a pressure ulcer, and a single large hospital could experience more than 1,000 patient falls per year. Approximately 30 to 50 percent of falls result in injuries, and complications from hospital-acquired pressure ulcers cause as many as 60,000 deaths each year. When patients fall in the hospital, they are more likely to stay in the hospital longer or be transferred to institutional or long-term care. Costs associated with hospital-acquired pressure ulcers could be as high as $11 billion per year. New videos and topic profiles that explore prevention of in-facility pressure ulcers and in-facility falls are available for continuing-education credit. Additional resources related to these topics include "Making Health Care Safer II: An Updated Critical Analysis of the Evidence for Patient Safety Practices," Preventing Falls in Hospitals toolkit and Pressure Ulcers in Hospitals toolkit and a student workbook and instructor's guide on falls prevention and management in long-term care facilities. |
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Health Observances This Week
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National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
Regular physical activity is good for everyone's health, and people of all ages and body types can be physically active. National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is a great time to spread the word about the benefits of getting active.
Here are just a few benefits of physical activity:
- Children and adolescents - Physical activity can improve muscular fitness and bone and heart health.
- Adults - Physical activity can lower risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
- Older adults - Physical activity can lower the risk of falls and improve cognitive functioning (like learning and judgment skills).
Communities, health professionals, and families can work together to create opportunities for everyone to get more physical activity.
Make a difference: Spread the word about fun ways to get moving!
How can National Physical Fitness and Sports Month make a difference?
We can use this month to raise awareness about the benefits of physical activity.
Here are just a few ideas:
- Encourage families to make small changes, like taking a walk after dinner or going for a bike ride.
- Motivate teachers and administrators to make physical activity a part of every student's day.
- Identify youth leaders in the community who can talk to their peers about the importance of being active.
How can I help spread the word?
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Has your FQHC joined the National Branding Campaign?
With more than 43 billion people eligible to enroll in private insurance starting this October 1, FQHCs strive to create an identifiable unifying identity for themselves. This is where the National Branding Campaign for Our Health Centers comes into place.
The campaign is a national branding effort to strengthen recognition of our Health Centers as a unified and nationwide network of quality community-based primary care providers. Initially created at the state level by the Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers (PACHC) and its membership, the National Association of Community Health Centers has expanded the campaign nationwide.
The FQHC Brand Components
MACHC recently hosted a Branding Webinar for MD and DE Health Centers with CEO of PACHC, Cheri Reinhart and Event and Communications Coordinator, Kirsten Keyes, as guest speakers. If you missed the webinar and would like access, please click here.
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